Why does a camp fire get significantly hotter over the first hour, despite the volume of wood fuel remaining relatively constant?
In: Physics
Much of the heat initially is being absorbed by the surrounding fire pit rocks and ground. After the fire has been burning a while, and those are already heated up, you’re now not only feeling the heat of the burning fire, but also the radiant heat off of those heated rocks and ground, as well as the heat radiating off of the coals in the center of the fire, which weren’t present at the start of the fire.
Cuz the wood facing outside are now burning and they give off radiation without getting blocked by other pieces of wood.
seconding bananajesus’ comment, and adding that:
really you’re not burning the wood, you are burning the wood gas forced from the wood by heat — more heat makes for more wood gas, and wood gas will react with oxygen (combust) more efficiently at higher temperature
the triangle of fire is HEAT + FUEL + OXYGEN
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